Carnation — Chapel of Abhorrence
A strong rocking, Belgian five piece, Carnation mixes old school death metal aplomb with delightfully crisp and heavy modern production. Feeling something akin to Dismember without an HM-2, and fronted by a Domination era David Vincent, Carnation brings forth some heavy crunch along with some rifftastic shred. There's a definite emphasis on heaviness on Chapel of Abhorrence, and Carnation wears it well. Although their old school inspiration is evident with their structure and style, their decision to pursue heavy, thick pummel instead of shrieking guitar acrobatics gives this album a life of its own. With the majority of the tracks between 3:30 and 4:00, Chapel of Abhorrence is a quickly moving, steadily churning bit of death metal. The gruff vocals on display work very well with the heavier tones. Also, the propulsive drum work fits in tune, and never hits an overshadowing speed. Riffs chug along nicely and open into excellent breakdowns to help keep the album from getting stale.
After nearly thirty years of listening to death metal, one might feel one has heard it all. And, well, it's fairly true. However, subtle changes and modern takes often open up what could be seen as old and repetitive, and instead make it sound fresh and fun. Carnation's first LP, Chapel of Abhorrence, takes the tried and true death metal formula, tweaks it for a modern audience, and lets it rip.